The Stars That Connect Us
by wavingthroughawindow
Summary: College AU. Feyre is a thoroughly stressed out prodigy who is taking Advanced Astrophysics, and of course, the professor places her next to Rhys. A series of one-shots depicting the evolution of their relationship. Also featuring the rest of the gang. Fluff.
1. The First Day (September)

"Welcome to Advanced Astrophysics," the professor said.

Feyre looked around the classroom nervously, looking for a place to sit. Someone who looked somewhat friendly. There was no one. Everyone looked to be their third to fifth year of college.

She was in her first.

"Typically, this class is filled with motivated and hardworking students from our older grades. However, our new student joining us today is a freshman. Please welcome Feyre Archeron."

This was what she hated most about it. The constant attention. The spotlight. At best, people thought she was cool and smart, but not approachable. At worst, people manipulated her so that they could benefit.

The class applauded, and she could see jaws dropping and eyes popping out. She wanted to shrink back into a corner of the room and disappear.

"Feyre, please go sit next to Rhysand," the professor said. He gestured to an empty seat.

She walked briskly to her seat, carefully avoiding making eye contact with this Rhysand, or looking at him at all. She didn't care who he was. She didn't want him getting too friendly with her, and then using her.

"We'll be taking notes now." He started delivering a speech.

It was interesting, Feyre gave it that much. She was actually enjoying it. For a few minutes, it was as if her life hadn't fallen apart.

She felt a tap on her shoulder. She rolled her eyes. It was _Rhysand_. She didn't care.

"Well, lucky me. I'm sitting next to the super-hot genius girl."

She whirled around, glaring. Who did he think he was? She had a boyfriend, for crying out loud!

Well, she had had a boyfriend yesterday. It was almost the same thing. She paused to look at him. He wasn't bad, she gave him that much. With his perfectly groomed raven-black hair, stunning violet eyes, and smirk, he actually looked somewhat attractive.

She didn't care. He was a jerk. "Who do you think you are?" she snapped at him. She glared at him, looking him in the eyes, but he was unfazed, still smirking at him. She wanted to punch him.

"Wow. Super-hot, a genius, and strong-willed. I suppose then I _can't_ copy your notes…" He looked at her with puppy eyes.

Her fist flew out before she knew what she was doing, hitting him squarely in the nose.

"Never. Ask. Me. That. Again," she spat.

To her surprise, he looked somewhat contrite. Holding up his hands, he said, "Whatever you say, darling."

She rolled her eyes. "Don't call me _darling_ , either."

"Princess? Einstein? Jane Foster?"

She frowned. "Who the heck is Jane Foster?"

Rhysand put a hand to his chest. "Honey, you are missing out on so much."

"Don't call me _honey_ either," she rolled her eyes.

"Oh, come on," he mock-pouted. "What _can_ I call you?"

"Feyre will do," she replied.

He raised an eyebrow mysteriously. "Okay then, _Feyre,_ you can call me Rhys."

"I'm not going to be calling you anything. I'm not going to be talking to you at all, after today."

"Oh, I wouldn't be so sure about that…"

She sighed and turned back to her notes. Shit, she had missed a lot. Stupid Rhys, going and distracting her…

Someone poked her from behind and said, "Hey, genius. How's life?"

It was such an unexpected question. She had expected a request for help or at least a word of awe. But this person was talking to her like she was _normal_. Taking a break from her notes, she turned around to face her.

"Morrigan," she said. The girl behind her was a senior, with golden hair tied up into a braid and honey-brown eyes. She was naturally beautiful, unlike Feyre. But the expression on her face… with her eyes glinting wickedly and a mischievous smile, she looked carefree and _happy_. Not an emotion Feyre had experienced much these days.

Feyre was taken aback by her question. So she just said, "You're not asking me for help?"

"Nah," she winked. "You probably have enough of those idiots to deal with. I'm a different kind of idiot."

Feyre found herself smiling along with Morrigan. "Life's terrible, I guess," she found herself saying.

"Why?" Morrigan asked. "You can call me Mor, by the way."

She laughed. "Well, _Mor,_ when is life ever good in college?"

"When you're drinking," Mor grinned.

"Oh, well, I wouldn't know. I'm nineteen," Feyre said.

"Girl, you are missing out on so much," Mor said. She frowned. "I suppose you can't drink, though, what with being a nineteen year old prodigy and having absurd amounts of homework."

"Homework sucks," Feyre said, grimacing. "Like, a lot."

"No kidding," Mor said.

"I wish that was my only problem, though," the words slipped through her mouth without her realizing.

"Why?" Mor asked.

She sighed, thinking about all that had happened to her in the last few weeks. She wanted to tell someone so badly. And this girl… this girl was treating her like a human being, not a genius.

"My boyfriend, from high school, helped pay for my college. I was dirt-poor, you know, but we were hopelessly and madly in love, and we would have done anything for each other, you know the feeling?" she started.

"I wish," Mor said, sighing. "Continue."

"Well, anyway, once we came here, our relationship, well, it changed. Something was different, but neither of us knew what it was. I just wanted to figure it all out, but," she sighed, "the admin here made me skip two or three levels in _all_ the subjects."

"Dude, what the fuck? That's messed up!" Mor said. Feyre felt a giddy smile creep onto her face. Someone agreed with her. _Someone agreed with her._

"Yeah, well, apparently _a talent like me_ needs to be challenged and motivated so that I can go on to do great things," she sighed. "Tamlin, that's my boyfriend, well, turns out it was all his doing. _He_ wanted me motivated and challenged. I wasn't too thrilled with that, but what could I say? He had paid for my college, after all. But I _hated_ our relationship and where it was going with all my guts. Anyway, yesterday I finally plucked up all my courage and broke up with him. I'm still not sure what he thinks." She sighed.

"Ouch," Mor said, putting a hand on hers. "Well, if you ever need any relationship advice, or homework help, or _anything_ , really, you can always call me at 1-800-MORE-MOR." She winked.

She smiled gratefully. "Thank you," she said. "That really means a lot to me." She frowned. "Wait, you have a business phone number? What's your business?"

"More Mor," she grinned. "The world always needs it."

"For sure," Feyre laughed.

"Well, nice talking to you, I'm sorry I distracted you for so long," Mor said to her.

Shoot. She looked at her computer. There was only one page of notes. She had missed a lot.

"Can I copy your notes after class?" she asked Mor.

"You don't want to do that," Mor said. "My notes are even worse than yours."

She sighed. Her first day in the class and she was already failing. She wasn't sure why she was surprised.

"I would ask Rhys, though," Mor said mysteriously.

She gaped. " _Rhys_? Is this a joke?"

"Why, what'd he say to you?" Mor asked.

"Some stuff," Feyre shook her head. "Let's just say that I'm not the world's number one Rhys fan."

Mor shook her head. "Feyre, Rhys is my cousin. I've known him for a long time. Now, he can be pretty stupid sometimes-"

"Most of the time," Feyre butted in, and Mor nodded.

"He can be pretty stupid most of the time, but his heart is in the right place. He means well. And he's not an idiot. He knows what he's doing. He just… wasn't forced to skip three classes, like you."

Feyre sighed. "I don't know, Mor. I just don't really want to talk to him again."

"Give him a chance, Feyre. Give him a chance."

Feyre turned to her computer and sighed. There was no way she was going to pass the class. She quickly glanced at Rhys' notes and started. They looked good, there was no denying it.

But did she really want to talk to that asshole again? Of course not. But, she thought, he wasn't so bad, actually. Despite his obnoxious way of talking, he hadn't meant badly. And he hadn't condescended her, the way Tamlin always had.

"I'll give him a chance," she said out loud, turning to Rhys.

* * *

 **A/N: Hey guys! So what did you think?**

 **This will most likely be a two-shot, because I don't have the stamina to keep it going as a full chaptered story. The second part will most likely be a flash forward, with where their relationship has progressed. I hope you liked it!**

 **If you liked it, please review! It really helps me as a writer.**

 **That's all, and stay beautiful!**


	2. Semester Finals (December)

**Thanks to everyone who reviewed!**

 **rowaelinfeyrhys: Aww, thank you so much! I really liked your review! And it means so much to me to know that everyone is in character. :)**

 **Kittykat1845: Thanks so much! Your review really made me smile. :)**

 **SpellCleaver: Thank you! I love knowing that everyone is in character, it's important to me.**

* * *

 **Disclaimer: ACOTAR belongs to Sarah J. Maas.**

* * *

"Cassian is much, much, _much_ smarter than he looks," Rhys explained to Feyre, gesturing at a dark-haired man holding a bottle of something, with thick eyebrows and a mischievous glint in his eye.

Feyre set her cooler down on the table. "That's not saying much, seeing as right now he's _drinking_ while studying for finals," she said, seating herself down on an empty chair and pulling out her study materials.

A couple weeks ago, Mor and Rhys had invited her to study for the semester final with them and their squad. Of course she had accepted. She didn't have anyone else to study with, and besides, as she got to know him, she realized that Rhys wasn't so bad. He really did have a good heart, and he knew what he was doing.

"Dude, it's the best," Cassian said, taking another swig from his bottle.

"Actually, I'm surprised Mor isn't drinking, too," Rhys mused, pulling out his computer and flash cards.

"I've decided to do something new this year," Mor winked. "I'm going to drink _after_ studying."

"Want some, honey?" Cassian held out his almost-empty bottle of vodka to Feyre.

"She's nineteen," Rhys said defensively, pushing Cassian's hand away. "Besides, I think she brought her own drinks."

"Yeah," Feyre said, grinning at Rhys. "Your favorite."

"Oh, no…" Rhys put his face in his hands. "Well, I guess it's time…"

Feyre tilted her head. What was going on?

"Are you going to come out?" Cassian said.

"Dude, you're so drunk," Mor said.

Feyre opened the cooler. "Fruit punch."

"FRUIT PUNCH?" Cassian half-yelled. "RHYS LIKES FRUIT PUNCH?"

Rhys shrugged. "It's always been my favorite."

"I don't understand what the big deal is," Feyre rolled her eyes. This _Cassian_ was entertaining, to say the least.

"I believe we are all here to do some _studying_ ," another dark-haired man in the shadows cut in. "It's Feyre's first time with us. We want to leave a good impression, don't we?"

A woman with short black hair, killer nails, and a murderous look shook her head. "Impossible," she said, gesturing at Cassian.

Feyre found herself agreeing with this woman. "I believe my impression is pretty clear, too," Feyre added, laughing.

She liked this. She liked this teasing and banter and lack of stress she felt with these people. Maybe college could be fun after all.

"All right, genius, show us what you've got," Cassian said.

"Don't call her that," Rhys snapped, glaring. Feyre felt a rush of affection for her friend.

"Let's see what you've got," Feyre challenged, a glint in her eye.

"Okay," Cassian shrugged, reaching over Rhys and grabbing Feyre's carefully made flash cards.

"OY!" Feyre and Mor said at the exact same time, high-fiving each other one second after.

"Cassian." Killer-Nails glared at him, snapping her fingers.

"All right, _all right,_ Amren, let me have a little bit of fun," he said, looking innocently at her. Feyre felt herself seething. She wanted to punch the alcohol out of his system.

Amren, to her credit, did not back down. "We are all here to _study_. If anyone wishes to do otherwise, get the hell out of here."

"He's not usually this bad," Mor mouthed, jabbing a finger at Cassian.

"Surprising," Feyre said. "Is she always this… _scary_?" She pointed at Amren.

"Yup," Mor replied.

"Okay, let's review," Amren said. "Everyone choose a partner, and we can-"

"All share Feyre's flash cards," Cassian finished.

"Not what she was going to say," Mor glared, pulling out her own binder and flash cards.

"Hey, she's the genius," Cassian shrugged.

Rhys opened his mouth, but before he could say anything, Feyre said, "I don't think so."

They all frowned at her, Mor most of all. Cassian, to her credit, looked somewhat contrite.

"What I meant to say is that I'm _not_ a genius," Feyre clarified sheepishly. "Heck, I don't even know how to handle a break-up."

"Honey, no one knows how to do that," Mor said, and Rhys nodded emphatically.

"I'm sorry," Rhys added, and everyone nodded in agreement.

"You should date Rhys," Cassian suggested, raising his eyebrows at her.

"What? EW!" Feyre was shocked. Where had that come from? She and him were barely friends. Rhys was also shaking his head, the color creeping onto his cheeks.

To her surprise, though, Mor did not seem to be in complete disagreement with Cassian. Rather, Mor, Amren, Cassian, _and_ Shadow-Man seemed to be sharing a secret smile. She rolled her eyes. No way would she be dating Rhys.

"I am not dating Rhys," Feyre clarified, laughing. Mor just shook her head and she frowned. Why did they think she liked him?

"That's enough chit-chat," Amren said. "Everyone, pair up and quiz each other. And no, we are not sharing Feyre's flash cards. In fact, Feyre, Azriel, and Mor all made some, so that should have every pair covered."

Rhys looked at Feyre. "Partners?"

She shrugged, turning to him and pulling out one of her flash cards. "I'm ready when you are."

* * *

They quizzed each other for a good half hour, rarely missing a beat. Feyre had only messed up once, and when she had, she and Rhys had started laughing so hard that they had to inhale a ton of fruit punch along with a stack of cookies to stop. She liked it. She was ready for the test, and she was having fun.

"I like this," she breathed.

"Me too," Rhys laughed. "I was a bit on edge today, because, you know, I was nervous. I thought I was going to fail the test, but also because I wasn't sure if you would like this." He waved a hand at the table. Cassian and Azriel were arguing, of course. Mor and Amren were done studying. The former was chomping down cookies, while the latter was just glaring. "I'm not nervous about either anymore."

"Oh, please," she scoffed, stifling a grin. "Rhysand, though you may hide it, you're the smartest person I know. There's no way you're going to fail the test."

"Right back at you, Feyre," Rhys said, smiling.

"I love astrophysics," she sighed, looking at him. "It's so beautiful the way _everything_ out there," she waved a hand at the sky, "can be connected by one set of laws."

"Math was always my favorite subject until I discovered astrophysics," Rhys grinned. "I guess I was always fascinated by the sky, but I didn't really know it until I took my first class. Then," he said, "I fell in love."

"It was hard for me, the first couple weeks," Feyre admitted. "Even though I always had loved astrophysics, I didn't think I would enjoy it, what with everything I was feeling. But then," she shrugged, "I met you."

He was silent.

She sat there, for a few minutes, staring at his face. His features were perfect, as if they had been sculpted by Michelangelo or something. The high cheekbones, the sensuous lips, and the eyes. Somehow, Rhys managed to pull off looking thoughtful and mischievous at the same time. And damn, it was rather attractive.

"All right, love birds, if you're going to kiss, do it now," Mor said, "because I'm about to take a drink of tequila."

Shocked, Feyre pulled back from Rhys. Had they really only been a breath apart? Shit. She was not going to kiss him now, not with Tamlin and finals still so fresh in her mind. Looking at Rhys, she could see a similar expression of shock mirrored in his face.

"Later?" Cassian smirked.

"Yeah," Feyre breathed, to her surprise. "Yeah. Later."

"Later," Rhys agreed.

"Well, that's settled," Mor winked at Feyre. "We are going to ace those finals tomorrow. And now, it's Drunk Mor time." She took a giant swig of her bottle of tequila.

"That's your cue to leave," Rhys laughed.

"I think I'll stay, Rhys," Feyre grinned back at him. "I think I'll stay."

* * *

 **A/N: Hey guys! What did you think?**

 **So I was just exercising one day, and I couldn't stop thinking about this idea. I really wanted to add a third part, where they were all studying for semester finals, and here it is! It's pure fluff and banter, hope you like it!**

 **There will be a third part coming soon, maybe more. I realized that I really like this universe I created, so now I can't help but write more stories in it. ;)**

 **Huge shoutout to my beta SpellCleaver! Your suggestions were amazing. :)**

 **That's all, and stay beautiful!**


	3. Workout (Mid-April)

**Thank you, thank you, thank you so much for all the lovely reviews! They make my day. :)**

 **franklyherondale: Thank you so much for your kind review! I just feel like subtlety is not really something Mor and Co would be interested in. :)**

 **Kittykat1845: Aww, thanks. I love knowing that people think my characters are in character. :)**

 **Guest (1): Thank you! I'm so glad you like it now! Hope you enjoy this chapter!**

 **HighLadyOfHerondale: Thank you! Hope you like this one!**

 **Rowaelinfeyrhys: Thanks so much! Yeah, teasing Feyre and Rhys is definitely their favorite pastime, no two ways about it. ;)**

 **Maia: THANK YOU! Your review really made me smile. I am so glad you liked it so much, and I hope you enjoyed this chapter!**

 **randomness-at-its-finest-here: Thank you so so much! I hope you like this chapter!**

 **PinkGuildKnight: Thanks! I hope you enjoy this chapter!**

 **Guest (2): Thanks a lot! Enjoy this chapter!**

 **Bellaathena04: I like that idea! I think I'll do it sometime in the future, when Feyre is of legal age, simply because I'm more comfortable with that. I promise, Feyre and Rhys will be a 'real thing' soon, though.**

* * *

 **Disclaimer: All characters belong to Sarah J Maas.**

* * *

"Hey, gorgeous," Rhys said, entering Feyre's room one morning.

She rolled her eyes, but couldn't suppress the smile that crept onto her face. "What do you want?" she asked, getting up from her laptop.

"What's up?" Rhys asked, sitting down next to Feyre and peering at her computer. She attempted to cover up the essay she was writing, but to no avail.

"Ooh, I like that line," Rhys remarked. "To the stars who listen - and the dreams that are answered? Fancy."

"I was thinking about astrophysics when I wrote that, actually," Feyre said. "The day before my first class, I asked the stars to seat me next to an obnoxious prick who also happened to be a total genius in astrophysics." She grinned at him. "Guess I got my wish."

"No, really?" Rhys feigned surprise. "The stars must be attentive for you."

"Well, why wouldn't they listen to me?" Feyre flipped her hair.

"True," Rhysand noted. "Very true."

"RHYYYYYS! HURRY UP! CASSIAN IS GETTING IMPATIENT!" came a disarmingly chipper voice from outside. Mor, then.

"Right," Rhys said, drumming his hands on her desk. "I was here to inform you that Cassian is having an exercise session today, and that you are invited." He paused. "I would like to strongly warn you against coming, as Cassian's workouts are evil, but… it is your decision."

Feyre looked at Rhys, the challenge written into her eyes. "You think I can't do it?"

He looked taken aback. "I think you can do whatever you put your mind to, Feyre. It's simply a matter of convenience."

She flashed a wicked smile at him. "Oh, I'm in," she said. "And Rhysand Asteria, I will beat you in every exercise for your penny's worth."

Was that hurt that flashed on his face? Whatever it was, it quickly disappeared. "It's on," he said, returning the grin.

* * *

Oh, he was ready. He would beat her. And once he won, he would… Well, he didn't quite want to think about that part yet.

Two weeks ago, he had made a dare to Mor. In a month, he had said, it would be prom, and he wanted them all to go to this dance. _They all_ meaning Cassian, Azriel, him, Amren, Mor, and Feyre. He wanted to spend this dance with his friends.

Well, Amren, Cassian, and Azriel had agreed immediately. Amren had apparently been dating some guy for months, which had surprised everyone. After all, Cassian had said, it was a miracle any male could put up with Amren's company, much less find it sexually pleasing.

Cassian, in a typical Cassian fashion, had dared Azriel to ask a random local out, someone who didn't go to their college. Azriel had accepted, but only on the condition that Cassian did the same. So they were set.

But Mor… her response had surprised him. She had gotten all defensive and repeatedly refused. Finally he made a deal with her. If I ask someone out to prom, he had asked, will you ask someone?

Naturally Mor had agreed. And a week later, Mor had waltzed into his bedroom with her longtime girlfriend and now prom date, Andromache. Apparently they had been dating for quite some time, but she had been afraid of coming out as gay. He had understood her decisions. He had congratulated her, hugged her, and they had both shed some tears. But the unspoken challenge was still etched into her face. Ask someone out, Rhysand, she had said to him.

And so here he was, two weeks away from prom, still with no date. The problem wasn't that he didn't know who to ask. He knew _exactly_ who he wanted to take to prom, who he wanted by his side the whole time, who he was ready to kiss…

No, the problem was asking her out. After all, she had just broken up with her boyfriend, and it hadn't been an easy break. Was it too soon? Would they be going as friends? Or would they ever be more than friends?

No matter, he told himself. He _would_ ask her out today. One way or another.

* * *

"One. Two. Three. Four. Five."

Cassian's patronizing glare was enough to keep Feyre on her toes, enough to keep her body going down-up, down-up. Just five more push-ups, she told herself with every five she did. Then she could beat Rhys.

She looked up as she completed pushups twenty-five through thirty, marveling at Cassian. How did he manage to keep them all in line _while doing his own pull-ups_? Weren't pull-ups supposed to be harder than push-ups?

Thirty-one, thirty-two, thirty-three. Next to her, Mor and Amren were barely breaking sweats. Across from her, Rhys grinned evilly at her. She glared at him and redoubled her efforts. She would not let him win.

"Cass!" Mor called, at forty. "Who are you taking out to prom?"

"Not telling," Cassian grinned, pulling himself up on the bar and doing a flip. "It's a surprise."

"How 'bout you, Rhys?" Mor asked. "Are you going out with Feyre?"

Fifty, fifty-one, fifty-two. "What?" Feyre nudged Mor. "Are you drunk?"

"Nope, perfectly sober," Mor said. "You got a prom date?"

"No…" Fifty-nine, sixty.

"And would it really be so bad to go with Batboy over here?" Mor gestured to Rhys, doing her sixty-fifth pushup with only one hand.

"Batboy." Feyre frowned. "Is he Batman's son or something?"

"HA! I did my job!" Rhys pumped his fist in the air, sinking into a one-handed push-up as well. "Feyre knows who Batman is!"

"Come on…" Mor winked at Feyre. "Don't avoid the question."

Seventy-eight, seventy-nine, eighty. Her immediate thought was yes. Yes, it would be terrible to go to prom with _anyone_ , anyone other than Tamlin. Especially Rhys.

But… Tamlin was over. She would just have to accept that. She would never be able to love him again. And Rhys, well, he was her friend. He had given her so much. Friendship, self-esteem, belonging.

She felt like she belonged when she was with Rhys. Somehow, coming to him felt like coming home. And… he was kind of handsome. So she would have to revise her initial answer.

Ninety-nine, one hundred. "No," she breathed, gritting through a final push-up. "No, it would not be so bad."

She saw Rhys' eyes widen, then his arms gave and he collapsed halfway through his hundredth pushup.

"Ha," Feyre said, sinking into one final pushup and then collapsing. "Beat you by one."

"No faiiirrr," Rhys moaned. "You cheated. You're not allowed to talk to Mor about dating me."

"She beat you, Rhys," Cassian grinned, jumping off his high bar and landing gracefully next to Azriel, who was still going. "Let's go, guys," he said. "Enough push-ups. We're running laps."

* * *

Thirty laps.

He officially hated Cassian's guts. Why, why, _why_ had he thought it was a good idea to make them run thirty quarter-mile laps uphill and downhill?

Feyre was ahead of him. What was this? Was she going to beat her at everything? He groaned.

Had she meant it? She really wouldn't mind going to prom with him? He was pretty sure it wasn't true. Feyre was a nice person. She had probably just said that so as not to hurt his feelings. And to shut Mor up.

Of course Mor chose that moment to breeze up to him, barely looking red in the face at all.

"Are you even trying?" he asked Mor.

"I'm _conserving_ my energy, Rhys," Mor laughed. "Anyway, why are you letting Feyre beat you?"

"I don't know," he said. It was true. Why was he running slower than usual today? It still felt like he was putting all his effort into it…

"It's because she wouldn't mind dating you, isn't it?" Mor said, grinning impishly. He groaned.

"First of all, she never said that. She said she wouldn't mind going to prom with me. I'm sure she would mind dating me."

"No, she wouldn't," Mor said. "She loooooves you, Rhys."

"Are you sure you're not drunk?" Rhys asked her.

"No, do you wanna see?" Mor asked. Ignoring his frantic shaking of the head, she hollered, "OY, FEYRE! DO YOU LOVE RHYS?"

"SHUT UP, MOR!" came the response.

"NOT GONNA HAPPEN!" she sing-songed, winking at Rhys.

"I'LL TELL YOU AFTER RUNNING!" Feyre's voice came back, desperate.

"She loves you," Mor confirmed, turning to Rhys.

"Ugh… she never said that," Rhys said. "What lap are we on, anyway?"

"Almost done, I think," Mor said. "Somewhere around twenty-eight or twenty-nine. I'm gonna go catch up with Feyre. You can eat our dust!" She winked, then dashed off to join Feyre.

He growled. He was not giving in so easily. No, Feyre would not beat him, not on his watch. After all, he couldn't ask her out to prom after _losing_ to her. Gritting his teeth, Rhys gathered the last of his energy and surged forward.

 _Keep going, keep going, keep going…._ There were only thirty feet until the finish line, and Feyre was still five feet ahead of him. Cassian, of course, had already finished, and was smirking at him, arms crossed.

This is it, he told himself. You can beat Feyre, and then you can ask her out to prom. He put all his energy into one final forward surge, lunging for the finish line.

 _Yes_.

Collapsed on his back, he could see Feyre finishing the race, just moments after him. He pumped his fist in the air, exhausted but satisfied. _He had won_. He was going to ask her out now. He was.

"This is it, right?" he mumbled to Cassian as Feyre collapsed next to him. He grinned, winking at her. She glared, but there was humor in the look. She looked beautiful, she looked alive.

"Yes, it is," Cassian smirked, raising an eyebrow at him. As if he knew _exactly_ what was happening next.

But even he couldn't have predicted the next events to unfold. Turning over on her stomach, Feyre grabbed his hand and smiled at him. "Looks like I lost," she said. Without missing a beat, she continued, "Will you come to prom with me?"

"SHIT!" Cassian exclaimed. Mor was… more restrained, but he could see a similar look of surprise mirrored on her face.

As for him, he was freaking out. _She_ had asked _him_ out? He couldn't believe it. Feyre must have seen the shock in his eyes, because she added, "As friends, of course."

Whoops. He hadn't meant to freak her out. But… maybe it was better this way. Better to not push her limits, their limits, better to play it safe and take it slowly, and see what unfolded.

"Yes, I would be delighted to go to prom with you. As friends." A giddy smile on his face, he stood up, scooping up Feyre with him. He winked at her. She winked back. Oh, prom was going to be one hell of a night.

As friends, of course. But… maybe they would be something more, someday. Rhys couldn't help it. He was a dreamer. And lately, all his dreams were about her. He could only hope that someday, she would feel the same way.

Looking at her, he realized that she had never looked so beautiful, so alive, so full of laughter. She looked… she finally looked like the college student she should be. No stress, no bags under her eyes, just life and light and warmth and happiness. He smiled. He was lucky to have her.

Just then, Azriel fell onto Cassian, finally having completed his thirty laps, with Amren close behind. Defeated, he looked at Rhys, only to see the giddy look in his eyes. Amren, who had gracefully halted at the finish line, saw it as well.

"What the fuck did we miss?" Amren asked, and Feyre let out a peal of laughter.

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 **Hey guys! What did you think?**

 **I had so much fun writing this one. The idea fell into my head, and I just couldn't let it go. I'm going to write a follow up soon, where they're all at prom, I promise. :)**

 **Shoutout to SpellCleaver for betaing my piece and being so supportive! Also, thanks a bunch to every person who reviewed. I have never gotten so much support on a story, and it's amazing. :)**

 **That's all, and stay beautiful!**


	4. A Tale Of Two Archerons (Mid-April)

**Thanks to everyone who reviewed!**

 **Nightandstarsandmoon: Thank you! I hope you like this chapter!**

 **Kittykat1845: Thank you so much! That really means a lot to me! I hope you enjoy this!**

 **Rowaelinfeyrhys: Thank you! Yeah, I figured they'd be really fit, since they are the Inner Circle. AU or no AU, they would be strong. I hope you like this chapter!**

 **whatifweareallfictional: Thank you! The disconnect is partially stylistic, partially because this was never supposed to be more than a two-shot... but these next few chapters should be more connected. I'm glad you still like it!**

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 **Disclaimer: All characters belong to Sarah J. Maas.**

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Nesta was doing the dishes when she heard a loud rap at the door.

"Elain? Are you expecting anyone?" she asked. Very strange… in the last three years, she had gotten maybe one unexpected visitor at her house. So who could it be?

"No…" Elain sounded as confused as Nesta was. Who _was_ this person? Her thoughts jumped to Feyre, whom she hadn't seen in many months. Maybe her sister was paying her a visit. Nesta wasn't entirely sure how she would feel if it were Feyre behind the door, but she _had_ missed her sister.

"Oh, quit the stalling," came an unfamiliar voice from outside the house. The voice was rather rough and harsh, but it didn't make her uncomfortable per se. Who the hell could it be?

She heard another slightly hushed voice say, "Cassian! Give her time! How would _you_ react in her situation?"

"Who _are_ you?" she called back, making her way to the door.

"Batman," he replied, causing her to groan. Was he _kidding her_?

"What are you here for?" she asked.

"We are here to see if you will be a suitable associate for fighting crime…" Goodness. He was really taking it too far.

"Cassian!" The quieter voice replied, "We'll tell you when we get in, I promise, but we really mean no harm." The earnestness in his voice made her hesitate.

"Come on, Nes, let's just see who they are," Elain said, walking down the stairs. Her hair was tied back some elaborate twisty braid-bun, like always, and she had a white flower tucked in. "Please?"

"Fine," Nesta said, giving in. She wrenched open the door to find two men looking at her with contrasting expressions. The one nearest to her had long dark hair which was tied back and thick eyebrows. He smirked at her, but there was… an intensity in his eyes which she couldn't quite pin down. She glared back at him, matching his intensity perfectly.

Looking behind him, she saw a second man, almost obscured by the shadows. He had dark hair, dark eyes, and… a general darkness to him. He wore a soft smile, and looking at his eyes, she knew he was taking everything in. The newness of their house, her glaring competition with his friend, Elain… nothing went past him.

"What do you want." She spat at the first man.

"Cassian," he held out his hand. "You must be Nesta. Your sister's told me all about you."

"Wait, Elain, you know this man - oh" Realization dawned on her as Elain shook her head vehemently.

"You know _Feyre?"_ she asked. "I didn't think she'd associate with people like you."

"Hey, that's offensive," Cassian said, and it was her turn to smirk. "We happen to be perfectly good influences on her." To his credit, his friend didn't say anything to correct him, but then again, he seemed wrapped up in conversation with Elain. She would have murdered him just for that, but Elain seemed to be enjoying it.

"Are you friends with Tamlin?" she asked. She didn't think her sister's broody, territorial boyfriend was the type to befriend someone like Cassian.

"Tamlin? Heavens, no. I've never met the guy, but Rhys doesn't ever have anything good to say about him," Cassian replied. "Why?"

"Who is this _Rhys_?" Nesta asked, murder in her expression. What was this guy doing, and was he even friends with Feyre? Or was he lying?

"You don't know who _Rhys_ is?" He looked shocked. "He's your sister's boyfriend."

"No, that's Tamlin!" It came out a bit louder than she intended, but what was he thinking? He thought he could fool her like this? Well, he was wrong. "I don't know who you are, or what you want, but get your lying ass far away from my home!"

"Whoa!" Cassian looked shocked, and his eyes showed genuine contrition. "Feyre broke up with Tamlin, okay? And she's not actually dating Rhys, he's just her prom date."

She didn't know whether to be relieved or worried. She had never liked Tamlin much, and knew Feyre would be better off without him. But she couldn't stop the concern for her sister from welling up inside her.

"How'd she take it?" she asked him.

"The breakup?" She nodded. "It was a rough few months for her, but she's doing better now. She's definitely perked up in the time I've known her, and is happiest around Rhys." Seeing her expression, he added, "Rhys would never do anything to hurt her. He loves her, but if she didn't want him, or she wanted to go back to Tamlin… I know he would do anything to make her happy."

Well, it was something. She didn't know whether to believe this Cassian fellow or not, but he seemed earnest enough. "Good," she replied. "What are you here for? I presume delivering this news wasn't your primary purpose."

"No, not at all…" he gave her a flirtatious smile she hadn't seen yet, earning himself an eye-roll. He winked at her. "Nesta Archeron, I'm here to ask you out to prom." He raised his eyebrows.

What. The. Hell.

"Get the fuck out. I'm not going with you," was her response, and she began to close the door.

"Oh, come on, give me a better reason than that," he whined.

She opened the door. Cassian was actually somewhat entertaining, though in an obnoxious way. "Fine, I'll entertain you," she said. "One, I don't know you. I've never met you before. Two, everything you just told me could be a lie. Three, you're ugly. Four…"

"Wait, what did you just say?" Cassian asked. "You think I'm ugly?" He put a hand to his chest, pretending to be offended.

"Yes," she replied smoothly. It was a lie. He wasn't bad on the eyes, actually.

"I am wounded," he said, feigning hurt in his voice. "As for your second point, I can _prove_ that I know Feyre."

"Oh yeah? What is her fondest memory of growing up?" Nesta challenged.

"Painting your dressers for you," Cassian retorted. "She loved choosing designs for you. Flames for you,since you're fiery. I can definitely see why she chose that now. Flowers for Elain, since she is a grower, a nurturer. I suppose that's why she's attracted to Azriel." He gestured to the man talking to Elain. "And she chose the night sky for herself, because she always felt like it represented her spirit. To the stars that listen - and the dreams that are answered."

"Damn." Nesta said, impressed. "Feyre really trusts you, doesn't she?"

"She trusts Rhys," Cassian clarified. "She only trusts us by association, I'm pretty sure. Probably one of her better decisions."

Nesta shook her head. "She trusts all of you. She would never have spoken about those memories in your presence otherwise." She scanned Cassian again, seeing if there was anything she missed the first time. "So there must be more to you than snark and womanizing. I'm not seeing it, though."

"So much more," he raised an eyebrow suggestively. "But you'll never get to see it… unless you accept my invitation."

"No way are you baiting me like that," Nesta snapped. "I will not go. I don't know why you're asking me in the first place."

"It was a bet," Cassian admitted. "I thought it would be a nice surprise for Feyre to see her sisters at prom."

Sisters. Sisters, in the plural. Her eyes widened.

"Elain would never, ever go with you," she spat, the murderous gleam returning to her eyes. "I would kill you before that ever happened."

"Oh, not with me…" Cassian winked. "I think you'll find Azriel there to be much more suitable company for Elain."

"She will not accept!" Nesta shouted, glaring at Cassian. Who did these two think they were? Elain was… not interested in these things. If they even slightly pressured her into going…

"Nes!" Elain said, turning around from her conversation. "Are you going to prom, too?"

No. She was so done with unexpected revelations today. Elain was going to prom with…a friend of Cassian's? What was happening to the world?

"Az here explained everything," Elain said, smiling at her. "I think it'll be fun. We'll get to see Feyre. You should come, too!"

There. That was real, unbridled happiness shining in her eyes. Elain really wanted this. Nesta really didn't want to go to a loud party with Cassian, and she wasn't sure she was quite ready to face Feyre yet. But for Elain… she would do anything.

"Fine," she grumbled, looking at Cassian. "I'll go. But _only_ to keep an eye out for my sister."

"I guess you just couldn't resist me, huh?" He winked, and she wondered if even a word of what she had said had gotten into that thick skull of his. "I'll pick you up in two weeks exactly at six thirty." He looked into her eyes, trying to read her, but she met his stare and held it. They stood there for a full minute, staring at each other, the challenge unspoken. _What can you offer to me, Cassian?_

"I look forward to it," Nesta said finally, rolling her eyes. She started to close the door. "Come on, Elain."

Elain waved at Azriel, a shy smile on her face. "I'll see you in two weeks!" Azriel offered no reply, but waved back.

Nesta closed the door fully and turned to Elain. "Well, I guess we have to get dresses now," she sighed. "That was quite something, wasn't it?"

"I liked Azriel," Elain said, laughing. "I think he'll be a good date, even though I don't _like him_ like him."

"At least one of us likes our date," she sighed. "Well, at the very least, this should be interesting…"

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 **A/N: Hi everyone! I hope you liked this!**

 **So this chapter was initially supposed to be the prom, but I wrote this as a prelude. It ended up being surprisingly long, so I'm posting it as its own separate chapter. I'm not used to writing these characters at all, so while I knew what direction I wanted to take the story in, the conversations they had completely surprised me.**

 **One more thing: I don't ship either Elucien or Elriel. So while I do have Elain going to prom with Azriel, I don't intend for their relationship to become any more romantic than it currently is.**

 **As always, thanks to SpellCleaver for beta-ing! That's all, and stay beautiful! :)**


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